


When The Dust Settles

by chinupdarling



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Post Infinity War, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:54:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chinupdarling/pseuds/chinupdarling
Summary: After turning to dust, Bucky, Sam, and Peter Parker wake up on a desolate planet and must find a way to trust one another and find a way back home to Earth.





	1. Chapter 1

_“Steve,” ___  
His last words echoed in his head like a sickening vibration from a stricken gong. Memories upon memories rolled through his mind, almost close enough to reach out and grasp and remember but not quite malleable enough to keep them from fading. _This is it _, he thought, as his lifetime flickered around his conscious. His previous memories stolen by Hydra came pouring in, as if the vault containing them had shattered and the silken fingers of his mind filtered through the years taken from him.__  
He hadn’t expected it to end like this. In war, yes. But an ever stretching horizon of familiarity while death consumed him? Never in his wildest dreams. And he’d had several.  
He’d expected an overwhelming yearning to go back in time and change every decision that had led him here. To go back and tell his family he loved them one last time. To grasp Steve by the shoulder and tell him, “It’s the end of the line, pal.” Or to have never enlisted in the war to begin with, and taken care of Steve for the rest of his miserable life.  
Yet, there was no regret. There was no satisfaction in his memories either. There was just him and the memories.

__

____

“What the fuck did that wrinkly ass eggplant just do to me?”  
_Sam? ___  
“Bucky?”  
_Sam! ___  
“Bucky, come on wake up, man,” There was an internal pulling in his chest, if he had one. As if someone had reached down deep into his gut and grabbed ahold of his very being and yanked him back to reality. “I’ve put up with too much of your shit for you to die on me, wake the hell up.” Engulfing pain shot through every inch of his wretched body, and he didn’t want to wake up. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt-  
But an image appeared before him. A halo of light surrounded his dark complexion, too bright for Bucky’s eyes to handle compared to the hard grimace on its face.  
“You motherfucker.” He heard its voice say.  
“Sam,” He heard his voice sob. Blinking his eyes over and over, his tight chest shuttered in pain, as if pain itself was stitched through every nerve ending in his body. The grimace on Sam’s face burst into a relieved smile as he reached out a hand to help him off the ground. Bucky shifted on his right arm as his left hand held onto Sam’s.  
His hand.  
_His left hand. _His left hand.__  
“What the hell?” He trembled as Sam brought him to his feet. His right hand delicately touched the skin of his left arm. Skin! He wiggled the fingers on his left arm in complete disbelief.  
“Uh, Mr. Barnes? Err, Mr. Bucky? Winter Soldier, Sir?”  
The young boy appeared behind Sam, clutching his mask in his hands. Bucky didn’t miss Sam’s diverted eye roll. “What’s happening?”  
What _was _happening?__  
“Am I dead? Are we dead?” Peter continued. “If I’m not, Aunt May will kill me when she realizes I’m gone, and I-i don’t know how to get back home.” Bucky pursed his lips and set his shoulders back decisively. A long gaze around the dusty wasteland surrounding them was enough to let them know they weren’t on Earth anymore. Mechanical debris littered the dusty ground while the many moons hovering near the planet cast dark shadows upon every corner and crevice.  
“It’s Peter, right?” The young boy nodded solemnly. Bucky took a deep breath and clutched his scrawny shoulder tightly, his own eyes boring into Peter’s tearful ones.  
“I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t know where we are.” His voice lowered slightly with a hint of vulnerability and fear. “But we’re here together. And that’s how we’ll find a way back home. Together.”  
Peter wiped a stray tear off his swollen cheeks and nodded once more. Bucky, dropped his arm and took a step back to recompose himself.  
“I never took you for the sympathetic type,” Sam smirked, crossing his arms across his  
broad chest. Bucky’s eyes reluctantly flickered to Sam.  
“I hate you.”


	2. Chapter 2

There was only so much room within the makeshift disaster shelter the trio had built. After forging through scraps of alien ships and mutilated non-human bodies, they’d found enough materials to form a semi-decent tent of sorts. Two thick red metal doors became the walls, having leaned them up against the sides of an upturned spacecraft. While Peter had been eager to help, the two veterans were hesitant to invite him on their search for a roof. However, when the boy let out a defiant huff through his lips, ripped the metal siding off the hinges of some sort of vehicle and tossed it upon the top of their shelter, Sam bit his tongue and tried his damnedest to ignore Bucky’s wide smirk. Their small hut held hardly enough room for two small people, let alone one lanky spiderling, a well built air-force vet, and an absurdly muscled superhuman experiment.  
Another pointy elbow jabbed Bucky’s side followed by a muffled “Sorry, Mr. Barnes”. Wanting to keep an eye on the exhausted boy, he’d ordered Peter to sleep by his left side. It had only been five minutes later that Peter unconsciously curled up into the solider’s warm chest. Sam, on the other hand, complained of the close proximity to the right wall and Bucky’s ass. The super soldier could only remind himself that he and Sam were used to sleeping on the ground after every elbow jab from Peter. It was now his job to protect the boy, and while Sam would never admit it, he too had felt an internal responsibility to keep him safe.  
As darkness blanketed the desolate planet and the breathing of the men at his sides had steadied, Bucky’s mind was consumed with the overwhelming horror of this new reality. He cast a glance to the sleeping boy on his left shoulder. There was sure to be an awkward conversation when he woke, but for now Bucky let him curl deeper into his side.  
It had only been a few hours ago that he’d been within arms reach of Steve and that alone was enough to wrench his stomach and send a wave of nausea throughout his body. He couldn’t help but feel guilt at the realization that his best friend had watched him die twice now, all while being unable to save him.  
For a moment, this had almost felt familiar: a scrawny kid asleep in the crook of his arm, sleeping on a dirty floor, the anxiety and worry consuming his thoughts about his closest friend. He remembered running a hand gently through Stevie’s knotted locks as they snuggled up together on the floor of Steve’s apartment when New York winters became damn near unbearable. Bucky could almost hear the soft sniffling of pre-serum Steve, how he’d have to sniff back snot and tear drops when the cold became too much.  
The soldier’s eyes shot open. He hadn’t imagined the sniffling. Peering down at Peter, he watched as the boy’s chest heaved and shook with each silent sob he took. Suppressing an uncomfortable groan, he cleared his throat softly enough to catch Peter’s attention.  
Instantly, the kid scurried away from Bucky till his back hit the wall of the shelter and wiped furiously at his eyes.  
“A-Allergies,” he choked. Bucky sat up and blinked slowly, thinking carefully about his next actions. He pursed his lips tightly before glancing over his shoulder to check that Sam was still sleeping. Thankfully, he seemed to be in a deep sleep, with one arm tucked under his head like a pillow.  
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” Even in the dark, Bucky could see Peter’s red rimmed eyes and runny nose.  
“Don’t apologize,” Bucky found himself whispering. As he predicted, an uncomfortable silence fell between the two. Had he known the boy better, he would have pulled him into his arms and told him everything would be okay. But he couldn’t promise that.  
Still, there was that memory in the back of his head replaying a young Steve in his arms sobbing that the cold made his bones ache and how he couldn’t take a deep enough breath to calm down.  
Bucky could practically feel Peter’s trembling roll off his body despite the few feet between them.  
“Do you want to talk about it?”  
Peter shook his head fervently, sniffing again quickly.  
“No, no, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you up.”  
“I’ve been awake.”  
Peter met his eyes unwillingly, rubbing the back of his hand under his running nose once more. Bucky let out another deep sigh before stripping off the dark blue jacket he’d dawned and handing it to the shaking boy. His brown bloodshot eyes blinked several times before hesitantly taking the jacket and pulling it over his trembling shoulders.  
“Thank you.”  
After nodding once, Bucky settled back onto the dusty ground and let his eyes fall shut. While exhaustion was just around the corner, he forced himself to stay alert until he felt Peter shift back against his side and his breathing calm.


	3. Chapter 3

        A sun-like ray of light graced over the red dusted plains, bringing forth a new day. Earth sunrises were beautiful in all their glory, but had never been quite like this. Orange tinted light flooded onto the planet, as if a god himself had spilled paints of red and orange hues across the drought filled terrain.

Sam was the first to rise. _Riley would love this view_ , he thought to himself. While the sunrise was a sight to behold, it was just another reminder that he was so far from home, if home still existed.

Losing Riley was the closest thing to heart break Sam had ever felt. His chest throbbed at the memory of his best friend plummeting towards the earth, all the while unable to reach out and save him from the devastating horrors unfolding. He could still hear the deafening crunch of metal and earth as Riley’s lifeless body hit the ground at an unforgiving speed.

“Fuck,” he spat, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands.

If there was anyone who could understand that heart shattering pain it’d be Steve.

Maybe that was the reason they got along so well, they shared the same war horror story lives and losses. Of course the only difference was Steve got his best friend back. And Riley was still gone.

Now they were all gone.

“Hey,”

Bucky emerged from the shelter tentatively, hiding the fact he’d been discretely waiting for Sam to finish crying. Seems like everyone needed to get it out of their system.

With a clear of his throat, Sam nodded to the solider with a “Hey, man.” Bucky lowered himself onto the dirt beside his best friend’s friend. The two watched the star above them rise in slow motion across the red-tinted sky.

“The kid still asleep?” Sam cast a quick glance to their shelter with a raised brow. Bucky nodded. “How’s the arm holding up?”

He pursed his lips in confusion, gliding his fingers along his left forearm and watching goosebumps rise against the touch. There was no explaining the reappearance of his left arm. But that question was not in desperate need of an answer like all the other questions they had. Where were they, how did they get here, and how do they get home were a few of the most important.

“I’m sorry.”

Bucky snapped his head around to meet Sam’s face. His dark brows furrowed deeply on his forehead as he hunched over his knees and wrung his hands in pain.

“For what?” Bucky questioned. If anything, he should be the one apologizing. He had tried to murder him more than once. Steve would have said, “It wasn’t you Bucky, you weren’t in control.” But Steve wasn’t here.

“I don’t hate you,” Sam continued. “You know that right?” The soldier stared at him blankly. A thick air of unwelcome anticipation hung suspended around them.

“Did Steve ever tell you about my best friend, Riley?” Bucky shook his head. A deep breath passed through Sam’s lips. “Riley and I had what you and Steve have.”

“Had?”

“He died years ago.” Bucky looked away, settling his eyes on the horizon instead. “Can I be frank?”

“I’d rather you be Sam.” Bucky retorted, hoping to light the mood. It did, earning an eye roll.

“If we want to get home we have to put the past behind us.” The star now stilled in the sky above them, drenching the two in warmth. “It’s what Steve would want.” Sam chuckled softly.

            “It’s what Riley would have wanted.” Bucky added. Sam’s eyes met his in a vulnerable way he’d never seen before. He was tempted to swing an arm over his shoulders and smirk out a loving insult. He opted to nudge Sam’s shoulder gently instead. He could maybe understand why Steve befriended this man- they were both annoying and loyal to a fault. And, yes, both were kind and unafraid to stand up for what was right, as well as being sincerely unapologetic about their feelings. _I could befriend Sam as well_ , he realized.   

            “Stop staring at me, Father Russia.” _Maybe not._ A rustle sounded from the tent, followed by several grunts and at least one “c’mon man” as Peter stumbled out rubbing his tired eyes. The two men stared back at the kid, completely unamused.

            “Uh, hi, Mr. Barnes and, uhm, Mr. Wilson, sir. Sirs.” Messy brown curls framed Peter’s tired face as he repeatedly blinked himself awake. Bucky noticed the boy still wore his jacket loosely on his thin frame.

            “How’d you sleep?” Sam rose from his seated position and stretched his arms above his head with a deep yawn. A sly grin grew on his dark face, his eyes settling on the borrowed jacket. “So, chivalry isn’t dead.”

            “I really hate you.” Bucky growled, placing his tired head in his hands. Peter immediately shrugged off the jacket and set it inside the shelter, deeply embarrassed. While the star hung high in the sky, a dark shadow fell down upon the three eerily. Across the horizon, a massive ship settled onto the plain heavily, dust scattering into the air surrounding the ship. The boys watched on as a pale creature appeared from the surrounding wreckage and approached swiftly.

“It’s bug girl!” The young boy exclaimed, blinking his tiresome eyes rapidly at the antennaed girl as she boarded the ship carrying supplies in her arms. Peter’s jaw slackened and he immediately smacked his hands giddily against Sam’s arm, earning a stern glare and one raised brow. Bucky scowled sharply at the alien as she disappeared behind the ship’s metal door.

            “What the hell is that?”

            “Everybody’s gotta gimmick.” Sam retorted. Peter turned to face both men, and while his mind raced with anxious thoughts, he forced them back and put on a brave face. The scorching heat was not the only reason the two men frowned down at the boy. While Bucky was eternally annoyed by the kid, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the sick, frail best friend he once had. Letting out a deep sigh, he nodded towards Peter firmly.

            “What’s the plan, kid?” The boy’s eyes widened at the acknowledgment, especially once catching Sam’s bewildered face in the corner of his eye, but quickly wiped the sweat soaked hair from his eyes and pursed his lips in determination.

            “Okay, so,” Peter began. “That bug lady helped Mr. Stark and I fight Thanos, and she’s got some other friends too. Maybe they’ll help us.”

            “So, you want to board the alien space ship?” Sam scoffed.

            “Well, I’ve done it before. Have you?” Peter crossed his arms smugly. Bucky’s eyes broke from the ship in shocked amusement at the quip. Before Sam could bite back, he stepped forward and interrupted.

            “What happens if they’re not friendly?”

            “No, they’re the nice guys, like us. They’re friendly.”

            “Because they fought Thanos?” Bucky questioned. Peter sighed exasperatedly.

            “I’m the friendly neighborhood Spiderman, I think I’d know the difference between friendly and not friendly.” The boy sassed. Within an instant, Sam threw his body over the two and flattened them to the ground as screaming whistles of rapid fire burst through the air overhead.

            “Stay down!” He ordered, his arms spread wide to form a shield over their bodies in the dirt. The fine dirt stung against their sunburned faces and created a thick cloud of dust around them as gun fire continued to rain down. A brief pause of fire allowed the boys to stealthy run to shelter through the smog of dust that seared their lungs and catch their breath. Bucky crouched to the left of the makeshift door, peering out through the cloud to catch a glimpse of the attacker.

            “Parker, I think your friends are here for a play date.” He grunted. The boy stood with his back flat against the back wall, his chest heaving up and down, though his eyes shone with anger. As the dust settled, they were able to make out the hovering silhouette of the ship yards from the shelter.

            “Alright, assholes,” A booming voice sounded from the ship thundering above. “Either you come out or we come in.” A brief pause. “Either way, someone’s coming.” Bucky and Sam quickly exchanged flabbergasted glances as Peter’s brows furrowed. “That’s not what I meant-just get out here dick heads!” Peter’s heart jumped to his throat in anticipation and relief. Grabbing Bucky’s arm, he insisted he knew that voice and yearned to approach the ship peacefully. The soldier shook off the boy’s arm in disgust at the suggestion and looked to Sam in agreement.

            “Man, I don’t know,” Sam groaned, wiping his hand over his face. “We’ve got nothing to protect ourselves, no food, no water, and the boy says he’s friend with those fuckers.” He glanced out the makeshift doorway watching the floating ship approach with its massive guns locked directly onto them. “We’ve already died once and we really don’t have any other choice.”

            “I know I can do it,” Peter encouraged, swallowing back his fear. “You gotta trust me on this. They’re the nice guys too.” His dark eyes widened in anxiety while he positioned his shaking hands on his hips to hide his nervousness. Bucky’s jaw set as he pondered the boy’s statement reluctantly. Pursing his lips, he shrugged his shoulders and sighed in defeat.

            “Kid, if I die for a third time, it’s on you.” Peter squared his shoulders in determination, approaching the doorway slowly, squinting as the blinding star reared its head out from behind the ship. Stark’s bold words echoed in the back of his mind as he stepped forward into the open plain with his hands raised above his head in surrender.

            _“What if someone had died? That’s on you. What if you had died? That’s on me.”_


End file.
